Deer Damage Permits

[fasteddie]

Does anyone shoot deer during the summer with Deer Damage Permits ? Flame away ............. :'(

[SteveB]

I have 2 of the last 3 years.

[fasteddie]

I saw a farmer being interviewed on TV a few years ago . He was complaining about the deer eating his crops and said he couldn't plant his money crop (kidney beans) as there would be nothing left in the field but hoof prints . He said he had hunters come in and shoot the deer using Deer Damage Permits .

I talked to him about it and he offered me a couple permits . I said I felt uneasy about it and was told , if I didn't want them there were other folks that would so I took the permits and filled them . I got my oldest son involved and he in turn got his brother started with the permits . We can also hunt the properties during bow season and the farmers are thankful .

I would bet this wouldn't be necessary if they would open up Mendon Ponds Park and Powder Mill Park for Archery Season . Farmers can lose thousands of dollars a year due to crop damage .

I know a lot of folks scoff at this but the farmers are grateful ...........

[JCTheGC]

Do you have to be a farmer to apply for these permits or?

[SteveB]

You have to demonstrate economic loss - most often severe crop damage.

[fasteddie]

The farmer applies for the permits and has to show proof of economic loss due to the damage to his crops . Most farmers don't apply because there is paperwork involved and they won't spend the time to process it . Then they complain about how much money they lost because of damage by the deer .

We don't shoot after dark which is legal . You can shoot up to 11 pm and use artificial lights which I think is foolish . I wouldn't want to be sitting in my home and hear a rifle shot at 10:30 pm .

You can only use center fire rifles so you have to be extremely careful as to where your bullet goes . We have passed up shots while practicing extreme safety . I would not want to see the area opened up to rifles for Regular Gun Season . This may sound hypocritical but I don't think all hunters would practice the extreme safety required in moderate populated areas .

[vipertech]

I had nuisance permits for my brother-in-law's and father-in-law's farms.  When we got the permits, I did not have to show any proof of economic loss.  But this was several years ago.  Maybe now they changed the rules.  At the time they handed out permits on a percentage of land being used for crops basis.  It worked out to about one permit per every 50 acres.  The "season" lasted from when the permits arrived (usually mid May) until the end of September.  My permits were always doe only.  Was not allowed to take bucks.  IFAIK, all nuisance permits were anterless only but I heard some people claim they received buck permits too.  Never personally saw this though.

I hunted using these permits for about 5 years or so.  Took an avg of 3 deer each time.  I predominantly used my shotgun but I did take my rifle once or twice.  I stopped hunting nuisance permits for a couple of reasons.  One: It's no fun in the summer.  Simply too warm and too many bugs.  Two:  after killing a deer in the summer, it is a major rush to get the deer from field to freezer.  Gutting in the hot weather is a challenge in itself.  Fighting off flies and other bugs while gutting is a huge PITA.  Then of course, it's a mad dash to get the deer processed and into the freezer asap.  The third reason I don't go anymore is that it takes away from the regular season.  I like building up the anticipation to opening day.  If I'm hunting deer year round, that feeling is completely gone.  Plus, I'd rather leave the does around to attract bucks to my land. 

When I got the nuisance permits, I also got into the DMAP program.  Every year, the DEC sends me roughly 10 DMAP tags just prior to the hunting season.  These are basically a whole bunch of doe tags that I can use only on the designated land.  I've never come close to using them all.  I don't mind getting them and have used them to tag my does instead of using my regular tags.  So a few seasons ago, I called them up and told them I no longer needed the summer nuisance permits.  Both of my sons are now of hunting age.  Between the three of us, I really don't even need the DMAP tags anymore.  I wouldn't be able to fill them anyways.

[sweet old bill]

In the 80's in west Va they use to have what they called a extra stamp a hunter could purchase for $5 that would then give you the ability to hunt farms that the local DEC had awarded extra deer damage permits as well as cash due to the amount of damage of a crop. The farmer would be required to allow a place for hunters with the stamp to park and to mark what area they could hunt on his farm and also it could be for only 3 days or less per week. What a great program. We found a very big farm that bordered on North river and had 3 farms, two had nothing but corn and hard woods and the other Apple and hard woods. We hunted this same farm for several years till I moved back North. To bad we due not have this type of program in our state.

[chief3703]

Nuisance permits what a joke. People wonder why deer numbers are down and i know farmers that hand um out and people use um at there camps or other places and im sure theres a hole lot of that going on. I believe in managment but those permits are a joke.

[SteveB]

Nuisance permits cannot just be handed out - only 2 shooters can be listed and all kills must be reported and tags filled. They cannot be used anywhere but the designated areas. There are strick rules in place - if you know of them being abused, pick up the phone and report them.

[fasteddie]

Yup ---- the deer numbers are down ..........I lost count at 57